SAN JOSE, Calif., April 25, 2006 - Cisco Systems®, Inc. today announced, with the support of Microsoft, the release of the Cisco® Unified CRM Connector 3.0, a customer relationship management (CRM) application tightly integrated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0. The solution helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) quickly gain access to customer information on inbound and outbound calls, increasing operational efficiency and providing an improved customer experience.
The Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0 helps to provide a complete view of the customer, including current and past purchases, sales information, order status, account relationships, and billing information. When a call is received by the Cisco Unified CallManager or Cisco Unified CallManager Express, the Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0 automatically links to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system and provides onscreen pop-up windows of the customer contact record and phone call activity so that the service agent can track the call. The same information and capabilities are also accessible remotely, so sales and service personnel in the field can also tap into the network quickly. New customer data or phone call information is uploaded back into the system, so the next interaction with the customer picks up where the last one left off.
"The combination of Cisco Unified Communications with Microsoft Dynamics CRM helps companies increase employee productivity and customer satisfaction while reducing costs," said Brad Wilson, general manager, Microsoft Dynamics CRM at Microsoft Corp. "Our collaboration with Cisco allows us to provide a proven and integrated solution that helps businesses build stronger more profitable relationships with their customers."
Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0 Features
New advanced features in the Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0 include an innovative Internet Protocol (IP) phone service that automatically pushes complete customer information to Cisco Unified IP phones from inbound calls that uniquely match a customer record. The IP phone lookup service allows users to view customer contact information from any Cisco XML extensible markup language (XML) display-capable Unified IP phone. Additional features include fast and easy click-to-dial functionality for accessing CRM contact records, call-duration tracking, and detailed call-information capture. The Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0 populates the Microsoft CRM database with the related call information. Using the automated call-tracking capabilities, the user can then view a complete communications history associated with the customer.
"Cisco and Microsoft share a vision of networked applications as a strategic imperative for growing businesses to help them sustain a competitive advantage," said Dominic Roberts, vice president of information systems at GreenStone Farm Credit Services. "The successful integration of the Cisco and Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution puts us in an ideal position of providing a more consistent and satisfying customer experience. By the time our representatives answer the phone and say, 'Thank you for calling GreenStone,' they have a complete history of that customer."
The Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0 is available for Cisco Unified CallManager Express, Cisco Unified CallManager, and Cisco Unified Contact Center Express. The new CRM application is now equipped with auto detect, which identifies which Cisco IP platform is currently being used. A wide range of Cisco Unified IP phones are supported, from the entry-level Cisco Unified IP Phone 7902G to the advanced Cisco Unified IP Phone 7970G.
Channel Partner Teaming Opportunity
Cisco today also announced the introduction of its new FastStart program for Cisco and Microsoft partners, providing resources to help them sell Cisco Unified Communications and Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions. In collaboration, the two companies developed the comprehensive channel and partner self-service Website to support the effective delivery of complete solutions to small and medium-sized organizations.
The FastStart Website includes self-service resources such as Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0 download, the Cisco and Microsoft partner locator, sales tools and demonstration script, the event-in-a-box and demand-generation campaign kit, end-user content, and a request form to schedule the Microsoft Across America truck for local events.
"Seventy percent of all customer interactions take place over the phone," said Peter Alexander, vice president for small and medium business marketing, Cisco Systems. "By using Cisco Unified Communications and Microsoft CRM to access a customer's information in real time, SMBs can increase employee efficiency and customer satisfaction."
The Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0 is a promotional offer now available to select Cisco and Microsoft specialized partners in the United States and Canada.
For more information on the Cisco Unified CRM Connector 3.0, visit www.cisco.com/go/microsoftsmb. For more information on the Cisco FastStart partner program, visit www.ciscomicrosoftsmb.com. For more information on the Microsoft FastStart program, visit http://partner.microsoft.com/usa/cisco.
